In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. “Action” means the installation, restoration, or enhancement of: A natural feature; An activity related to the form and function of a natural feature; or Land conservation measures. “Action” includes the planning, design, engineering, drafting of legal instruments, and maintenance necessary to establish a natural feature, an activity related to the form and function of a natural feature, or land conservation measures. “Fund” means the Whole Watershed Fund. “Overburdened community” has the meaning stated in § 1–701 of the Environment Article. “Partnership” means the Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership. “Project” means a collection of restoration and conservation actions coordinated by multiple entities to improve shallow water habitat. “Project sponsor” means the entity responsible for administering a project, including accounting for funds, coordinating partners and actions, and reporting outcomes. “Shallow water habitat” means the portion of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays and their tributaries for which the State has adopted water quality criteria to support submerged aquatic vegetation. “Shallow water habitat” includes the Susquehanna River and its tributaries within the State. “State management team” means the representatives designated to administer the Partnership. “Underserved community” has the meaning stated in § 1–701 of the Environment Article.

There is a Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership. The purpose of the Partnership is to accelerate restoration of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays and their watersheds by equitably focusing assistance on actions and areas that are: Cost–effective; Likely to demonstrate a rapid systemic response to restoration activity, including rapid de–listing of impaired streams identified under § 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act; and Supported by the local government. The Secretary shall establish a State management team to administer the Partnership. The State management team shall include: One representative of the Department, designated by the Secretary; One representative of the Department of the Environment, designated by the Secretary of the Environment; One representative of the Department of Agriculture, designated by the Secretary of Agriculture; One representative of the Department of Planning, designated by the Secretary of Planning; One representative of the Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, designated by the chair of the Commission; and The Chief Resilience Officer, or the Chief Resilience Officer’s designee. The representative of the Department shall chair the State management team. The State management team shall coordinate with other entities, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as necessary to carry out its functions and duties under this subtitle. The Partnership shall employ staff in accordance with the State budget. State agencies may provide staff or other assistance to the Partnership. On or before October 1, 2024, and every 5 years thereafter, the State management team shall issue a request for proposals for projects that: Occur within a single Maryland 8–Digit Watershed as identified in the statewide digital watershed file maintained by the Department of Information Technology; Include a strategy describing the partners, actions, and benefits that the project will incorporate over a 5–year period; Provide at least five of the benefits specified under subsection (f)(2)(viii) of this section; and Are endorsed by each county and municipal corporation in which the project will occur. Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, on or before March 1, 2025, and every 5 years thereafter, the State management team may approve up to five projects to receive assistance under this section. The State management team shall evaluate a proposed project based on whether the proposed project: Is located in a watershed in which habitat restoration and pollution reduction will: Result in the greatest improvements to shallow water habitat and living resources; Achieve rapid de–listing of impaired streams identified under § 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act and published in the Department of the Environment’s Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards; or Generate rapidly improving conditions in the local ecosystem; Emphasizes actions that are expected to provide the greatest, most cost–effective, and measurable amount of pollution reduction; Supports land use policies, conservation programs, and restoration protocols at the local level that will sustain project actions and outcomes; Has documented interest from a group of affected property owners to allow restoration or conservation actions on their property; Minimizes the loss of trees and other natural habitats; Demonstrates opportunities to implement actions that reduce environmental disparities experienced by overburdened or underserved communities; Demonstrates opportunities to foster innovation in restoration science or practices; In addition to land–based habitat restoration and water quality improvement, anticipates benefits related to: The creation or restoration of wildlife habitat, riparian buffers, and wetland restoration; The restoration of aquatic resources, such as freshwater mussels, fish passage, or oyster reefs; Carbon sequestration; Climate change mitigation, adaptation, or resilience; Local employment opportunities; Improving and protecting public health; and Recreational opportunities and public access to waterways and natural habitats; and Creates partnership opportunities among nonprofit and for–profit organizations, community organizations, all levels of government, and scientists. The State management team shall: Work to ensure that the projects approved include: One project located in a predominantly urban area; One project located in a predominantly suburban area; Two projects primarily focused on reducing pollution in a predominantly agricultural area; and One project that incorporates collaborative efforts with an adjoining state; and Ensure that at least two approved projects are located in and provide benefits to an overburdened or underserved community. The State management team may require siting, design, construction, maintenance, and operation principles and standards for a project that are in addition to those required by law or regulation if the team determines that those principles and standards are necessary to preserve the benefits of the project. As soon as possible after approving a project under this section, the State management team and the project sponsor shall meet to develop a plan for permitting the project, including identifying all: Required State and federal permits; Supporting documentation that must be submitted with each permit application; Time frames for submitting the permits and supporting documentation; and Points of contact within each relevant agency for each of the permits. To expedite the permitting process to the extent allowed by State and federal law, the State management team and project sponsor shall: Invite all relevant State and federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, to the meeting required under paragraph (1) of this subsection; and Coordinate with each agency to develop the plan for permitting the project, including time frames and requirements for each application. For a period of 5 years after approving a project, the State management team shall: Assist the project sponsor in developing an implementation and financing plan, including measurable outcomes, for the duration of the project; Award implementation grants from the Fund and other appropriate State funds and accounts: For up to 50% of project costs; In accordance with the implementation and financing plan developed under item (1) of this subsection; and With consideration given to the progress of the project as documented in the report required under subsection (j)(2) of this section; Award operations grants to the project sponsor for project administration costs in accordance with § 8–2A–02(f)(5) of this title; Provide for coordinated and transparent State permitting to the extent allowed by State and federal law, including the use of the permit tracking dashboard established by the Secretary under subsection (l) of this section; Provide funding to the project sponsor to support water quality monitoring at the project site; and Meet with the project sponsor and participating local governments at least six times each calendar year to review and facilitate progress on the project. A project sponsor shall provide opportunities for community engagement for the duration of the project by including: At least four community meetings that include representation from each local government endorsing the project; and An opportunity for public comment on the preliminary design of each major or large–scale action proposed by the project. A project sponsor shall identify appropriate metrics to track progress on meeting the outcomes identified in the project’s implementation and financing plan. A project sponsor shall report on the progress of the project at the intervals and in the format required by the State management team. A report under this paragraph shall include information on: Community engagement efforts; Restoration and conservation actions initiated and completed; Trees affected and trees at immediate or future risk of impact due to restoration actions; Funding from all sources that was solicited, awarded, or spent; and The progress made toward meeting the outcomes identified in the project’s implementation and financing plan, including the metrics used for tracking progress under paragraph (1) of this subsection. The State management team may require a project sponsor to perform and report on water quality monitoring for more than 5 years. On or before November 1, 2025, and each November 1 thereafter, the State management team shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on the status of each approved project. The Secretary shall establish a permit tracking dashboard that provides: Publicly available information on the permit schedules and requirements for actions that require a State or federal permit; and The plan required under subsection (g) of this section redacted to protect any confidential information. A project sponsor shall provide quarterly updates to the State management team with the information necessary for the permit tracking dashboard, including the status of all required State and federal permits. The permit tracking dashboard shall be made available to the public on the Department’s website.

There is a Whole Watershed Fund. The purpose of the Fund is to fund projects approved by the State management team under § 8–2B–02 of this subtitle. The Secretary shall administer the Fund. The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article. The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund. The Fund consists of: Revenue distributed to the Fund from: The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund established under § 8–2A–02 of this title; The Bay Restoration Fund established under § 9–1605.2 of the Environment Article; The Clean Water Commerce Account established under § 9–1605.4 of the Environment Article; The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Fund established under § 2–505 of the Agriculture Article; The cost–sharing program established under § 8–702 of the Agriculture Article; and The Waterway Improvement Fund established under § 8–707 of this title; Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; Interest earnings; and Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund. The Fund may be used only to support actions associated with a project approved by the State management team under § 8–2B–02 of this subtitle, including: To satisfy match requirements of any federal source; or Matching with county, municipal, or private funds or in–kind support for a project. Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, money transferred to the Fund under subsection (e)(1) of this section shall be subject to the conditions specified in the originating fund or account. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a portion of funds for an action may be provided as an advance payment at the beginning of each fiscal year. Any remaining funds not used to support an action in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be available for use consistent with this section in subsequent fiscal years. The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested. Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund. Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget. Money expended from the Fund for projects approved by the Partnership is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that otherwise would be appropriated for the Partnership. A contract entered into by the Department under this section shall: Be consistent with the implementation and financing plan developed under § 8–2B–02(g) of this subtitle; For an action involving stream restoration, require the use of a stream restoration contractor licensed under Title 18 of the Environment Article; and Require that funds provided from the Fund be returned if the action is not completed in accordance with the implementation and financing plan. Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, an action that is partially financed with another source of State funds may be funded under this section. Funding provided to an action under this subsection shall be prorated to cover only the portion of the action not funded by another State source.